Improvement in combined wind-wheels and fans for railroad-cars



A. W. WOODWARD.

COMBINED WIND WHEEL AND FAN FOR RAILROAD CARS.

N0.170,Z15. Pate ted Nov.28,187.5.

U TATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMBROSE W. WOODWARD, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN COMBINED WIND-WHEELS AND FANS FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,215, dated November23, 1875; application filed August 26, 1875. 1

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMBROSE W. WOOD- WARD, of the city of .Lancaster, inthe county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in a Gombined Wind-Wheel and Fan for Railroad-Oars, 'ofwhich the following is a specification:

The nature of this invention consists in the arrangement of arapidly-revolving fan near each end of a car, driven by a wind-wheelplaced outside, within an adjustable case, to admit the air-currents forpropelling the wheel and driving the fan, for the purpose of stirring oragitating the stagnant air within the cars, and promote the action ofthe side ventilators usually employed in passenger-cars on railroads.

The accompanying drawing, with the letters of reference marked thereon,together with a brief description, will enable those skilled in the'artto make and apply the same, and in which- Figure 1 shows a vertical viewor section of a passenger-car with the appliances in place 5 I Fig. 2,the central shaft of the wheel and fan,

shown detached, with its appliances for adjusting the case. a

The wind-wheel revolves within a case se cured by a cross-keeper, B,centrally surmounted by a brace, 12, forming the upper bearing of thevertical shaft G, to which the wind-wheel andthe fan are secured. Thelower part or step of this shaft rests centrally on a curvedcross-piece, I, that spans from one side of the upper draft-chamber tothe other. This casing aroupd the wind-wheel has an open space onopfifgsite sides, and a flared mouth to arrest and direct the currentsof air to the wings O of the wheel through said openings. The case isprovided with a sleeve to fit around the shaft G, and is connected witha short slotted sleeve, 0, on a disk, '15, under the roof, so as to berotated by the action of said disk, for which purpose the cords H H areused, secured to it on opposite sides; These cords can be provided withloops to fasten to a button on the side of the car, to hold the same inits adjustment. There is a stationary shield, A, against which theflared ends a of the case can be drawn to close the opening in the case,or partially so, as the case may be. Pulling one cord will rotate thecase to the right; the other cord'pulled will turn it to the left,either opening or closing the aperture 'more or less.

The wind-wheel may have twelve or more oblique wings, 0, so as to catchthe current of air produced by the motion of the cars. Being centeredand well balanced, the motion is imparted to the fan with its fourobovate inclined fans or wings F on a hub made adjustable by aset-screw, f. Those are kept in a rotary motion, and it is believed willagitate and stir the air within the cars effectually, and promote thecomfort of the traveling public at a trifling expense in applying thedevice, actuated by the motion of the cars, without cost for motivepower to propel the same.

I am aware that numerous devices have been employed for ventilatingpurposes on railroad-cars, including wind-wheels, 860., as in Patent N0. 98,201, in which a wind-wheel on a vertical shaft is claimed, incombination with gear and a horizontal shaft for an incased fan orblower; nordo I claim an adjustable shield apart from my adjustablecase; but I am not aware of any arranged, combined, and operatedsubstantially as herein set forth and shown therefore,

What I claim is- A wind-wheel having six, eight, or more oblique,wedge-shaped wings, 0, within a case, B, which case is made adjustablein its bearings by cords H H and disk E, and is also provided withflared fixed shields a to, together with a fixed independentcheck-plate, A, in combination with a fan, F, on a hub, made adjustableby a set-screw, f, on the vertical shaft G of the wind-wheel, the wholearranged and Y operated as and for the purpose specified.

A. W. WOODWARD. Witnesses:

W. B. WILEY, JACOB STAU'FFER.

